Plastic Grocery Bags — Challenges and Opportunities

Plastic Grocery Bags — Challenges and OpportunitiesGlossaryadd-on packaging — a term used to describe any carryout bag or extra packaging providedby retailers.biodegradable plastics — plastics that decompose in the natural environment and can includenon-carbon-emitting starch-based plastics or oil-based plastics, which release carbondioxide.bioplastic — plastic derived from plant sources such as hemp oil, soy bean oil and cornstarch or from a microbial source, rather than traditional plastics, which are derived frompetroleum.closed-loop recycling — reuses recovered plastics to manufacture new 100 percent postconsumerrecycled products.compostable — made from biodegradable substances capable of degrading in a properlymanaged compost process.degradable plastic — plastic able to be broken down by mechanisms such as bacterial action,exposure to heat, light or oxygen within a short time frame.high-density polyethylene — HDPE is a thermoplastic made from natural gas and hasstronger tensile strength than low-density polyethylene (LDPE). HDPE plastic bags are recyclableand widely used in supermarkets.life-cycle assessment — LCA (also known as a life cycle analysis, ecobalance or cradle-tograve-analysis)is the investigation and valuation of the environmental impacts of a givenproduct or service caused or necessitated by its existence. The goal of an LCA is to comparethe full range of environmental damage assignable to products and services, to be ableto choose the least burdensome one.low-density polyethylene — LDPE is a thermoplastic made from natural gas, and its mostcommon use is for plastic bags. LDPE bags are softer to handle and more pliable thanHDPE bags.non-government organization — NGO is a legally constituted organization created byprivate persons or organizations with no participation or representation of any governmententity.photodegradable or photodegradation — degradation caused by sunlight, and includesthe breakup of molecules into smaller pieces by photons. For example, six-pack soda canrings have been photodegradable LDPE plastic since the 1990s. Some plastic bags aremanufactured with properties making them photodegradable.polyethylene terepehthalate — PET is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester familyand is commonly used in the manufacture of soft drink bottles.Food Marketing Institute 8